Top 5 Smartphones of 2011, Buying Links Inside [Round-Up]

So, the year, 2011 is coming to an end. This year many gadgets and smartphones were launched but only some of them carried out. This post salutes them and will make you know about them. In 2011, we saw many twists in the smartphones world. Nokia lost its No.1 position to Apple and then Apple later lost it to Samsung which is currently ruling the smartphones world.

Smartphones have become better more than ever in the year 2011. The Operating Systems supporting these smartphones have also taken a leap forward. The specifications in the smartphones have increased a lot. Well, all these factors have led to better smartphones and when we round-up all those smartphones and take out the better ones, sparks are sure to fly.

1. Samsung Galaxy SII

I would not be expecting any comments against this phone. This phone is why Samsung is currently the best smartphone manufacturer. This phone is one of the best Android phone of the year or maybe of all time. This phone sold 10 Million units in just 6 months. You can imagine the demand of this phone by the rate. It won several awards and that’s why it is in this post. It has some good powerful specifications.

Coming with a 4.3 inches Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen, this phone boosts up to 1GB RAM. It comes in 2 models: 16 GB and 32 GB. GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc. are also available. It has Android v2.3(Gingerbread) and can be upgraded to Android v4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich). It comes with a 1.2 Ghz processor, a rear camera of 8 megapixels and front camera of 2 megapixels. It has a 1650 mAh battery.

Price in India: Around Rs. 32,000 but can be bought onlineat Rs. 30,200.Price in USA: Buy unlocked version for $511.44 from Amazon at 41% discount.

2. Apple iPhone 4S

Apple can never stay behind in a league which it kind of re-invented the smartphone league with iPhone. iPhone grew consistently with its models and the latest one Apple iPhone 4S has already hit the top charts and may remain there for sometime. The best iPhone ever was announced this month and one it was put up for pre-ordering(outside India) it received over 1 Million orders in just the first 24 hours. Sadly, it has the same design and same screen size which were in the previous models.

3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Samsung surely doesn’t rule the smartphone world for no reason. It is on the top because of amazing quality phones it produces. It produces uniqueness with most of their smartphones and Galaxy Nexus is yet another unique phone from Samsung. The uniqueness of this phone is Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich). It is the first ICS phone and it was launched in a special event. It has already gathered a lot of earnings and is competing iPhone 4S head to toe.

Being an Android 4.0 phone is an advantage at the first place. Its 4.65 inches screen makes it bigger to display everything you want in big size. The touchscreen is Super AMOLED capacitive. It comes in 2 models: 16 GB and 32 GB. GPRS, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. are available. 1.2 Ghz processor powers this phone and 1750 mAh Li-Ion battery makes this phone run for a good length of time.

Price in India: Expected price is Rs. 35,000 and it will be launching sometime in January.Price in USA(With Contract): $299; Without Contract: $800; Buy Online

4. Nokia Lumia 800

Nokia’s flagship phone is the latest Nokia Lumia 800. This is the first Windows Phone from Nokia and Nokia has high hopes with this phone. Nokia Lumia 800 was announced with Nokia Lumia 710 and Lumia 800 is the better one of them. Nokia wants to get back on the top and Nokia Lumia series would help Nokia a lot in achieving that feat. Dreambloggers has covered “Will Nokia Lumia 800 Bring Nokia’s Crown Back?” which you should check if you are interested in Nokia Lumia 800.

It comes with Windows Phone 7.5(Mango) which is the latest version of Windows Phone. It has a 3.7 inches AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. It comes in one model with 16 GB storage. GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc. are available. 8 megapixels rear camera and 720p video recording are available. It is disappointing that no secondary camera is available. It has a 1.4 Ghz processor which is very rare in Nokia phones. It has a 1450 mAh battery.

5. Samsung Galaxy Note

This is Samsung’s third phone in this list and now it is undoubtedly clear why Samsung is the top smartphone manufacturer. Galaxy S II, Galaxy Nexus and now Galaxy Note. Galaxy Nexus’s uniqueness was Android 4.0 and Galaxy Note’s uniqueness is its large 5.3 inches screen. It is the largest smartphone till now and that has given it quite a good advantage over its competitors.

The biggest advantage of this phone, as pointed above is the 5.3 inches screen. Being a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen makes it a lot more better. It comes in two models: 16 GB and 32 GB. GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, 3G, etc. are available. 8 megapixels rear camera, HD video recording and 2 megapixels front camera are available. It runs on Android 2.3.5(Gingerbread) and may get an update for Android 4.0(ICS). It has a 1.4 Ghz processor and supporting all this is a massive 2500 mAh Li-Ion battery.

Price in India: Rs. 34,999 [Available onlinefor Rs. 32,500]Price in USA: Not actually available in US but you can buy it from Amazonat $651

Phones, Worth a Mention!

The phones are given above are the top 5 smartphones but there are still more phones, which you should at least be mentioned in this very post.

HTC Rezound: It beats Nokia Lumia 800 from the above list but did not make it in the list because of its availability and less earnings as compared to other phones in the list.

Blackberry Bold Touch 9900: One of the best phones from Blackberry. It can compete with the phones above but could not beat them and that is the reason it didn’t make it in the list.

HTC Sensation: This phone remains true to the HTC tradition but yet, its specifications were not much to beat the amazing top 5.

LG Optimus 3D: Yet another amazing phone from LG. Its Optimus series has always been great. This phone is good but it is just available in Android 2.2 and 2.3 and its specifications except dual cameras are not enough to get in the top 5.

Nokia Lumia 710: The little brother of Nokia Lumia 800. A bit short on the specifications is why it isn’t in the top 5.

Which One to Buy?

This holiday season, if you are really wanting to buy a smartphone and have quite a big budget, you can not leave the phones given in this post above. In my opinion, choosing the best of the top 5 is really difficult because the competition is head to toe.

Well, Nokia Lumia 800 costs Rs. 26K which makes it the cheapest in the above. It is considered the game changer for Nokia. Galaxy SII has proven that its worth. Galaxy Nexus makes people excited for Android 4.0 and it has the pure Android experience. Galaxy Note is the largest one of them. Apple iPhone 4S is really great and if you are living outside India, this is the phone to go for. But for Indians, iPhone 4S is very expensive and can be skipped for that reason itself.

Personally, I feel Nokia Lumia 800 has got it all quite right. Price, specifications, design. Drawbacks would be the absence of front facing camera and absence of HD video recording. Well, I do oppose the fact that it, single-handedly could not give Nokia the reign back but I also support that it is selling a lot and can be a perfect product for you.

Final Verdict

I really recommend Nokia Lumia 800 over the other devices because it’s the best mix of price and specifications. If you are living outside India, iPhone 4S with Siri is something you cannot miss. For Indians, you can skip it because Siri may not understand the accent clearly and it is just too much expensive. Galaxy Nexus rocks but its price would be a huge factor when it hits in India. Galaxy Note attracts people but many people are against the huge screen which will surely lead them to avoid Galaxy Note. Galaxy S II is an amazing phone and totally worth your money. If you have a bit more than 30K, you may go for it.

I have given you the top smartphones and my views about them. What do you think? Which phone should be bought? Do comment and share your views.

Note: The Analysis has been done on the basis of my personal point of view and expertise. If you have any doubts or views, do share them with me.